Hello ICEA friends and colleagues,
I'm a former ICCE and long-time ICEA member who let her membership lapse two
years ago for financial reasons. I'm distressed that ICEA is now marketing
bottles and teats, which violates former ICEA policies and official
positions. I can only guess at the reasons: either (1) the Board is unaware
that "bottles and teats" are included in the scope of the International Code
of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, and therefore a grievous mistake has
been made. OR, (2) the Board has elected to reverse ICEA's long-standing
policy regarding the Code.
I hope that the first is the case and that the Board will instruct the
marketing company to remove advertisements for bottles and teats from its
materials. Every member of the World Health Organization, including the
United States, has endorsed the International Code, although only a few
countries have implemented the Code in law. Virtually every perinatal
organization's position paper on breastfeeding, including ICEA's own,
strongly supports breastfeeding and seeks to reduce public advertising of
products that are detrimental to breastfeeding.
If the latter is the case, this decision represents a serious and profound
change of policy for ICEA, and one that is contrary to virtually every other
perinatal organization in the world. If this is the case, the decision
shocks and saddens me greatly.
I strongly urge that the ICEA Board take prompt action to remove advertising
for bottles and teats from its materials, or publicly acknowledge its
decision to reverse longstanding ICEA policy. I would be happy to direct the
Board to information on what products are covered in the scope of the
International Code.
Most sincerely,
Linda J. Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC
Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre
Dayton, OH USA
http://www.bflrc.com
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